The present application is an improvement over the invention disclosed by McMills et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,811 assigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
McMills et al. discloses a mechanical coupling assembly for coupling a coaxial cable to a coaxial cable dropwire splice box, and includes a deformable compressive member which seals a space between an outer layer of a coaxial cable being coupled and a connector body disposed over this outer layer. Driver means are used for compressing the deformable compressive member, and the driver means is engageable via threads with a male threaded member extending from the dropwire splice box. Though the deformable compressive member provides an excellent means for preventing moisture ingress into the connection so formed between the outer layer of the cable and the connector body, a problem still exists in the art of how to seal an end of the cable when the driver means is attached thereto but is not also attached to the dropwire splice box or similar connection.
For example, oftentimes after the driver means has been attached to the cable and the dropwire splice box, it is necessary to disconnect the driver means from the dropwire splice box such as can be required when cable service is discontinued by a subscriber. Subsequent to disconnection, the mechanical coupling assembly can be removed from the coaxial cable, but this is disadvantageous since the then exposed end of the coaxial cable is susceptible to absorbing water and other environmental contaminants which will require that a substantial length of the cable be rendered useless should service thereafter be desired and reconnection be required. In such an instance, a substantial length of the coaxial cable must simply be cut off and thrown away.
Though it is possible to plug an end of the cable with some kind of grease, this is disadvantageous since greases are messy and tend to ooze and flow over time, and accordingly do not provide optimum moisture ingress protection.